Chapter 204: Hold the Line
Only Ryn didn’t react much.
He had already come to terms with it.. Arthur was different, and that was all there was to it.
"Prepare," Ryn said calmly.
There was no hesitation in his voice, no doubt in the way he stood. The others didn’t question it either. They trusted him, and more importantly, they trusted each other.
So they moved.
This time, they were careful. No rushing in blindly, no unnecessary risks. Nox took the lead, her steps light and precise as she guided them forward.
And then..
They saw them.
Shapes moved in the distance, low to the ground, fast even at a distance.
Wolves.
A lot of them.
More than before.
But they weren’t charging.
Not yet.
They moved slowly instead, spreading out as they approached, their eyes locked onto the group like they were studying them... waiting.
Torren swallowed under his breath.
"...That’s more than I thought."
Selene gave a small nod.
"...Same."
Althea’s fingers tightened slightly at her side.
"...This is bad."
Arthur didn’t look away.
His eyes stayed on them, calm and steady.
"...Yeah."
There was no fear in his voice.
Just readiness.
Ryn stepped forward slightly.
"Stay together."
The wolves kept advancing, but they didn’t rush. They spread wider, circling, closing the distance bit by bit like they understood exactly what they were doing.
Arthur let out a quiet breath.
"...Smart."
And that made it worse.
Because this wasn’t just numbers anymore..it was their pressure and strategy
The group tightened their formation instinctively. Weapons came up. Breathing slowed.
They waited.
The distance shrank, step by step, until it felt like the entire forest had gone still around them.
Torren muttered quietly,
"...How many is that?"
No one answered.
They didn’t need to.
They could all see it.
They could all feel it.
And it was definitely more than expected.
Arthur’s grip tightened slightly, and a small smile formed at the corner of his lips.
"...Alright."
This time, it wasn’t going to be simple.
They didn’t get the luxury of thinking.
The wolves moved first.
What began as a slow, creeping advance broke instantly into a full charge. The ground trembled beneath them as claws tore through dirt and leaves, low growls rising into sharp snarls that filled the space between them.
For a split second, the sheer number of them pressed down on the group like weight.
Too many.
Too close.
But the hesitation didn’t last.
"Move!" Ryn’s voice cut through cleanly.
And just like that.. they responded.
Torren stepped forward without waiting, his shield rising as he planted himself between the group and the incoming wave.
"On me!"
The first impact hit hard.
A wolf slammed into his shield with full force, another crashing in from the side right after. The sound rang out, heavy and sharp, but Torren held his ground. His boots dug into the earth as he adjusted, shifting just enough to keep them in front of him instead of letting them slip past.
He wasn’t stiff anymore.
He moved with them now.
Reading them.
"Come on then!" he barked, a grin breaking through the pressure.
Selene didn’t wait for him to fully settle.
She had already drawn.
The moment one wolf overextended, she released.
The arrow cut clean through the air and drove straight into its skull. It dropped instantly, collapsing before it even reached Torren.
But the opening didn’t last.
Another wolf rushed in to fill the gap.
Selene was already moving, stepping to the side to keep her distance as she drew again. This time, she didn’t wait for the perfect shot. One arrow struck the shoulder, staggering it, and the next followed immediately, sliding into its neck.
The wolf choked and fell.
She didn’t slow.
She wasn’t waiting for openings anymore.
She was making them.
"Left!"
Ryn’s voice came just in time.
Selene shifted instantly, a wolf lunging into the space she had just vacated. Before it could recover, Ryn was already there.
He moved like instinct had taken over completely.
His blade cut once across the wolf’s side, then again across its throat as he turned with its momentum. It dropped mid-step.
Another came at him.
Ryn didn’t back away.
He stepped in, twisted, let it pass just enough..
Then cut it down from behind.
One after another.
Arthur watched for a brief second and smirked.
He’s locked in.
Torren grunted as another wolf slammed into his shield.
"Little help here!"
"Got you," Selene replied calmly.
Her arrow struck one of the wolves harassing him, knocking it off balance. Torren didn’t waste the chance. Instead of retreating, he drove forward, shield first, slamming into it hard enough to stagger it completely.
Ryn finished it a heartbeat later.
"Not bad," Torren muttered.
Ryn didn’t respond. He was already moving again.
Behind them, Althea worked without pause.
She didn’t speak much, but her presence was constant. Her eyes tracked everything.. the shifts, the pressure points, the moments someone needed just a little more.
"Torren."
A glow wrapped around him, reinforcing his stance just as another wolf hit his shield.
"Selene... now."
Selene felt it settle into her arms immediately. She drew and released in one smooth motion, and the arrow pierced clean through a wolf’s throat.
Althea exhaled slowly.
And kept going.
Nox moved along the edges, faster than before.
She wasn’t just scouting anymore.
She was part of the fight.
One wolf slipped past Ryn’s line, heading straight for Selene.. but Nox cut across its path before it could reach her.
"Hey.. over here."
The wolf turned instantly.
Nox didn’t panic. She didn’t run blindly either. She guided it, shifting just enough to keep its focus locked on her.
"Now!"
Selene’s arrow flew.
The wolf dropped mid-chase.
Nox let out a short breath, a faint smirk forming.
"...Got it."
Arthur caught that and laughed quietly.
"Look at you."
But he wasn’t idle.
His hand lifted slightly, and the air around him shifted.
Wind gathered.. thin, compressed, spinning tight enough to almost disappear unless you were looking for it.
Then he released.
The first wolf didn’t even react before the spear pierced straight through its side.
As It dropped instantly.